He's been quite tardy to many appearances,
particularly press conferences. It's attracted attention, with
reporters kvetching and tweeting each other as they sit idle awaiting
the mayor, and also produced some mainstream press stories and mentions.
The reasons for his late arrival are rarely explained so it's hard to
assess whether there are legitimate reasons or whether he simply runs
late. (If it's the latter - I feel your pain, friend.) Is it more than
a distraction and really a problem that voters and the public care
about? Not so far, but there is a risk for him. If the narrative
around his administration becomes one of delay or inability to execute,
his personal tardiness will feed that narrative.

2. He Moves Fast.

At least on his big issues, if not his daily
schedule. Despite his personal tardiness de Blasio has moved
expeditiously on his biggest campaign issues of universal
pre-K/afterschool programs and stop & frisk. On pre-K, he clearly
recognizes the time pressures on his initiative. To have a significant
program for tens of thousands of students in place for September 2014
requires rapid planning and execution, and de Blasio's related signature
income tax surcharge requires quick state legislative action as the
state's April 1st budget deadline looms. On the program planning and execution, de Blasio quickly formed a separate organization,UPKNYC, to
develop a detailed plan demonstrating the ability to put students in
seats by September. Using UPKNYC, he has also mounted a highly visible
campaign enlisting business leaders, labor leaders, educators and celebrities as supporters of his program and income tax surcharge.

He's moved quickly on other issues as well.
As mayor-elect de Blasio jumped into the race for city council speaker,
lobbying council members and pushing his preferred choice of Melissa Mark-Viveritoto an anticipated victory well before the scheduled city council vote. Barely two weeks in office, he pushed for asignificant expansion of the City's recently enacted paid sick leave law.

3. He Meant What He Said.

"Pivot to the center", a phrase often used
in describing newly-elected or re-elected public officials, does not
appear to apply to Mayor de Blasio. He's plunged ahead on the ideas
that he espoused while campaigning, seemingly energized by the
opportunity to implement them rather than seeking ways to ease away from
them. Like his ideas or not, there are few substantive surprises so
far. His campaign theme of income inequality, and a City government
role in reducing it, effectively frames his actions to date and can
reasonably be assumed to frame the future.
On pre-K, Governor Cuomo is attempting to co-opt the mayor's plans with a
less extensive, less expensive and income tax surcharge-free plan. The
governor's stated plan gives the mayor a classic opportunity to
"declare victory and go home" with a quick, but partial success. The
mayor has politely refused and continues seeking to implement his plan
with major public campaign and legislative efforts underway. On the
expansion of paid sick leave, the city council bill passed late last
year over Mayor Bloomberg's veto has not even taken effect and Mayor de
Blasio could reasonably wait to see its effects before expanding it.
That's not his preference, however, as he quickly agreed with the city
council to a marked expansion. On stop & frisk, the mayor has agreed with the plaintiffs in the ongoing federal lawsuit to the installation of a monitor for the NYPDand,
assuming that an expected plan is approved by the federal district
court, to drop the City's ongoing appeal of the district court's ruling
against the city.
Seemingly unfazed by the few bumps he's hit so far, including snow removal dissatisfaction and a "secret" speech, de
Blasio can count significant progress toward several of his campaign
issues. Whether he achieves each of those goals, and whether they are
best for our city, remains unanswered. He's clear on where he's headed,
however, and notwithstanding his somewhat mild and even-keeled persona
he appears prepared to act rapidly on the issues that he cares about.
Finally, if you need a soothing de Blasio moment, here's his reading of Where the Wild Things Are. "Let the wild rumpus start ..."Please visit us regularly atNYTrue.com and follow me on Twitter (@jjk607).For insight into New York’s biggest issues, what counts is not just being true, but being New York True.

City to fully embrace stop-and-frisk reform, pledges respect for every New Yorker’s constitutional rights

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced a historic agreement in the Floyd vs. City of New York case,
taking steps to end the years-long legal battle that found the overuse
of stop-and-frisk unconstitutional. Standing with plaintiffs, Police
Commissioner Bill Bratton and incoming Corporation Counsel Zach Carter
in Brownsville, Brooklyn, the mayor pledged to reunite police with
communities across the city and to respect the constitutional rights of
every New Yorker.

“This is a defining
moment in our history. It’s a defining moment for millions of our
families, especially those with young men of color. And it will lay the
foundation for not only keeping us the safest big city in America, but
making us safer still. This will be one city, where everyone’s rights
are respected, and where police and community stand together to confront
violence,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“We will not break the
law to enforce the law. That’s my solemn promise to every New Yorker,
regardless of where they were born, where they live, or what they look
like. Those values aren’t at odds with keeping New Yorkers safe—they are
essential to long-term public safety. We are committed to fulfilling
our obligations under this agreement as we protect and serve this great
city,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.

Under the agreement with
plaintiffs announced today, a court-appointed monitor will serve for
three years, overseeing the NYPD’s reform of its stop-and-frisk policy.
The monitor is empowered to report to federal court on the city’s
progress meeting its obligation to abide by the United States
Constitution. The city will also take part in a joint process with
community stakeholders to ensure people affected by stop-and-frisk play
an active role in shaping reform.

LGBTQ
residents of the Bronx now have available a support group and free
legal clinic as a result of a partnership between Union Community
Health Center (UCHC) and the Bronx
LGBTQ Center.

An
LGBTQ
Youth Group is meeting every Friday from 4pm-5pm atUnion
Community Health Center, 260 East 188th
Street, the Bronx. During these group sessions, topics are selected
for discussion by the group, including bullying, healthy
relationships, domestic violence, education and parent & teen
communication. The Youth Group is a safe zone for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their straight allies
aged 12-20. For more information, contact 718-618-8569.

“Union’s
Teen Health Center has been a safe and welcoming place for Bronx
youth for several years, and we are very excited to open our doors,
share our experience, and extend our services to LGBTQ youth,” said
Dr. Uri Belkind, Director of Adolescent Medicine at Union Community
Health Center. “Here, LGBTQ youth will find a haven in which they
can relate with other youth in an open and healthy environment, as
well as take part in all the other activities and services that
Union’s Teen Health Center offers. We look forward to helping
all our youth build strong, healthy relationships with their peers.”

Additionally,
every first and third Tuesday of the month from 6pm-8pm, Union
Community Health Center hosts the Bronx LGBTQ Legal Clinic. During
these clinic sessions, volunteer lawyers offer consultations at no
cost to the public. The attorneys provide general guidance on
individual’s specific issues, make legal referrals and offer
helpful legal resources. No appointment is necessary, although those
interested are encouraged to arrive between 6pm-6:30pm to register.
For more information about the Legal Clinic, email Bronx@le-gal.org
or call 212-353-9118.

The
LGBTQ Legal Clinic is the result of a partnership between The LGBT
Bar Association of Greater New York (LeGaL), The
Bronx LGBTQ Centerand
Union Community Health Center.

Common sense proposal would amend tax and public health laws to make e-cig cartridges a taxable tobacco product

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has announced that he is
sponsoring new legislation in the Assembly, A.8594, which would classify
e-cigarette cartridges, which are filled with nicotine and other
unknown chemicals, as tobacco products under New York state law and tax
them accordingly. The bill has been referred to the Assembly Ways and
Means Committee.

“It’s
about time we start acknowledging the reality of these nicotine filled
products and the unregulated nature of this potentially hazardous
industry,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.

In
recent years New York lawmakers have begun tackling the litany of
health issues associated with electronic cigarettes, which have grown in
popularity as an alternative to regular cigarettes, by prohibiting
their sale to minors and banning them from public indoor use in New York
City. Legislation calling for a similar ban of indoor use statewide is
also being pursued.

Although
New York is taking a proactive approach to regulating e-cigarette
products, a national standard for their regulation has yet to be
determined. In December 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit issued a decision stating e-cigarettes and other products “made
or derived from tobacco” should be regulated as tobacco products by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Tobacco Control Act. In
spite of the court’s decision, the FDA has yet to rule on the regulation
of these products on a national level. If passed, New York will join
Minnesota in classifying cartridges that contain nicotine and other
harmful chemicals as tobacco products.

“E-cigarettes
aren’t the safe alternative the industry makes them out to be,”
Dinowitz said. “It’s a product that contains nicotine as well as other
unknown chemicals and therefore should fall into the same category as
other tobacco products, including being taxed as a tobacco product.
These devices are marketed as smoking cessation tools, when in actuality
they are anything but. New York has always been a leader among states
and this is no exception. We will not wait around for the federal
government to act.”

Tobacco
control organizations are also concerned about the noticeable
similarities between e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes, especially as
it pertains to their shared appearance. E-cigarettes are designed to
look just like regular cigarettes, creating the potential to lure young
teens in with the false promise that they can smoke without the normally
associated health risks. Acting as something of a nicotine gateway,
these e-cigarettes may lead to an increase in nicotine addiction among
younger users, which could in turn also result in an increase in regular
cigarette smoking.

This
hearing will give an opportunity to Bronx and Citywide non-profits,
colleges, hospitals, schools, neighborhood organizations and any other
parties to speak out on the Mayor's proposed budget and the capital and
service needs of our neighborhoods.

Anyone interested in presenting testimony should email name, title, organization and telephone number to bmccray@bronxbp.nyc.gov to register in advance of the hearing.

Verbal
testimony will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Please forward a
copy of your written testimony to the above email no later than January
30, 2014 and bring 25 copies with you on the date of the hearing.

For accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact 718-590-3500

February
was one of the very last months to be added to our calendar, because
the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. I can see
that: Sometimes the stretch from late December into mid-March can feel
like one, long, uninterrupted test of endurance. Mother Nature did us a
great kindness in giving us gems like Wave Hill, where the vistas, the
sparks of bright winter color, the bare beauty of tree and bough, are
complemented so well by our programming. This week, that includes a
provocative performance piece, an open house for our Winter Workspace
studio artists, a tea-tasting workshop, wellness sessions and our second
Horticultural Lecture of the season and… well, you get the idea. And if
you have kids home for President Week, check out the family workshops
we’ve got in store.

SAT, FEBRUARY 15 FAMILY ART PROJECT: EXOTIC DESERT DWELLERS

Join visiting artists Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao—who
have exhibited as part of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Series—on a visit
to Wave Hill’s Cactus and Succulent House. Sketch these exotic desert
dwellers, then, using paper mâché, bendable wire, paint and paper, make
an exotic paper plant of your own. Free, and admission to the grounds is
free until noon.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 15 TAI CHI CHUAN

Quiet
like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle
movements based on images found in nature. In this beginner-level class, Irving Yee,
a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to
the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits.
Winter sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/Wave Hill Member $15.
Registration opens online and onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.
(Reservations may not be made by telephone.) Online registration closes
at 8AM on the day of this session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday
before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drops-ins will be
accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a
Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front
gate.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SUN, FEBRUARY 15 WINTER WORKSPACE SESSION 1: OPEN STUDIOS

For
the fifth winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed into studio spaces for
artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public
interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their
studio practice with the public on this open studio day. Artists
include Aron Louis Cohen, Jessica Lagunas, Dana Levy, Evie McKenna, Cheryl Molnar and Jan Mun. Registration not required for this drop-in event. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1‒3PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 15 WINTER TEA-TASTING WORKSHOP

Take a delightful winter tea-tasting journey with Chris Cason,
co-founder and tea sommelier of Tavalon Tea. Warm body and soul with
different varieties and styles of teas, while “steeping” yourself in the
history and culture of tea. Participants receive complimentary tea
samples. $30/$20 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. Space is limited.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2–4PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 16 FAMILY ART PROJECT: EXOTIC DESERT DWELLERS

Join visiting artists Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao—who
have exhibited as part of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Series—on a visit
to Wave Hill’s Cactus and Succulent House. Sketch these exotic desert
dwellers, then, using paper mâché, bendable wire, paint and paper, make
an exotic paper plant of your own. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 16 HATHA YOGA

Reduce
stress, increase your energy and bring strength and flexibility to
mind, body and spirit with a yoga practice. Classes are led by Yoga for
Bliss director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors. Ms.
Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for
Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All
levels welcome. Winter sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/Wave
Hill Member $15. Registration opens online and onsite at the Perkins
Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by telephone.) Online
registration closes at 8AM on the day of this session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday
before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drops-ins will be
accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a
Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front
gate.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11:15AM

SUN, FEBRUARY 16 MEDITATION

This
fall, take a moment to release stress and reconnect with your inner
self while practicing meditation. Each session includes instruction in
simple techniques followed by 20 to 30 minutes of meditation. Classes
are led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other certified
instructors. All levels welcome. Winter sessions are held indoors.
Session fee: $25/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens online and
onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by
telephone.) Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of this session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday
before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drops-ins will be
accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a
Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front
gate.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:30AM‒12:45PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 16 GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 16 CONCERT: THE CROSSROADS PROJECT

A riveting multi-disciplinary presentation, The Crossroads Project lives at the intersection of art and science. It was conceptualized by physicist Robert Davies
and based on his desire to bring science to art-going audiences.
Davies’ artist collaborators are Riverdale residents, composer Laura Kaminsky and painter Rebecca Allan, and the Fry Street Quartet performs
live. Crossroads examines the critical issues of global sustainability,
climate change and how society might respond. 80 minutes, no
intermission. Tickets $32, $28 Senior, $18 child (ages 7 to 18); Wave
Hill Members $22; child $12. Tickets on sale online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

MON, FEBRUARY 17

Closed to the public.

TUE–THU, FEBRUARY 18–20 PRESIDENTS’ VACATION WEEK FAMILY WORKSHOPS

Spend an afternoon—or two or three—making art like the masters, with the Family Art Project’s Rama Mandel.
Each afternoon, explore the artwork of a different major artist, and
with his or her work as your guide, use a variety of mediums to create
your own art. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Space is limited. Registration is required, online at www.wavehill.org,
onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.320 x251.
$25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult.
Additional child or adult $10.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1:30–3PM

TUE, FEBRUARY 18 FAMILY WORKSHOP: LARGER THAN LIFE

Spend the afternoon making art like the masters with the Family Art Project’s Rama Mandel.
This afternoon, explore the evocative paintings of American artist
Georgia O’Keefe, particularly the flowers, shells and bones she loved to
expand into larger-than-life images. Using water-soluble ink and
acrylics, paint your own images. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Space is limited. Registration is required, online at www.wavehill.org,
onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.320 x251.
$25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult.
Additional child or adult $10.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1:30–3PM

WED, FEBRUARY 19 FAMILY WORKSHOP: DASHES, LINES AND SWIRLS

Spend the afternoon making art like the masters with the Family Art Project’s Rama Mandel.
This afternoon, we focus on Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch
post-Impressionist painter whose large body of work incorporated his
highly recognizable use of dashes, lines and swirls. Begin by
experimenting with mark-making, then use pencil and charcoal to create
your own sketches of the landscape and finally apply acrylic paint to
canvas, Van Gogh-style. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Space is limited. Registration is required, online at www.wavehill.org,
onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.320 x251.
$25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult.
Additional child or adult $10.

This
ongoing series is hosted by Wave Hill’s Friends of Horticulture
Committee and is devoted to landscape design and the meaning of our
interactions with plants and the natural world, The second lecture of
the season is provided by Margery L. Daughtrey, expert plant
pathologist and Senior Extension Associate with Cornell’s Department of
Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology. She covers the myths and
facts about big garden issues around disease, and prepares you to guard
the plants you love, with a special focus on several new and re-emerging
diseases that are suddenly very relevant to gardeners in the NYC area.
With challenges like impatiens downy mildew, boxwood blight and rose
rosette virus—plus new rusts and powdery mildews—what’s a plant lover to
do? The last lecture in this series takes place March 19.
Series: $60/$48 Wave Hill Member, Student. Individual lectures: $25/$20
Wave Hill Member, Student. Reservations recommended, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x216.

NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, 170 EAST 70TH STREET, MANHATTAN, 6PM

THU, FEBRUARY 20 FAMILY WORKSHOP: PAINTING WITH SCISSORS

Spend the afternoon making art like the masters with the Family Art Project’s Rama Mandel.
This afternoon, experiment with “painting with scissors,” one of the
technique used by French artist Henri Matisse to create his bold,
vibrant and distinctive canvasses. With fast-drying tempera paints and
scissors, create colorful cut-outs to fashion into collages, just like
Matisse. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Space is limited. Registration is required, online at www.wavehill.org,
onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.320 x251.
$25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult.
Additional child or adult $10.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1:30–3PM

A
28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River
and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and
legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views,
and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs
in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM—4:30PM. Closes 5:30PM, March 15—October 31.

ADMISSION $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free all day on Tuesdays in February. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

DIRECTIONS
– Getting here is easy! Located only 3o minutes from midtown Manhattan,
Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate
and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242nd
Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available
for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with
continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot
and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Normally I would not care at all about Queens and Queens politics, but this leads into a very interesting question here in the Bronx. City Councilman Mark Weprin was unanimously elected this morning as
chair of the Council’s Queens delegation, a sign that the wounds from
the protracted Council Speaker race between Dan Garodnick and Melissa
Mark-Viverito might be starting to heal.

What role the delegation chair plays in the new City Council is still up
in the air. In the past, the delegation chair has played a big role in
negotiating the city budget, with delegation chairs from all counties
often named to the Council’s Budget Negotiating Team. The chairs also
typically have a say in funding some of the county’s capital projects,
and have also helped divvy up the pot of discretionary funding given to
the borough Council members.

“The delegation chair, the role is still up to some discussion with the
new Speaker, exactly the roles delegations as a whole are gonna play,”
Weprin said. “We have issues in Queens that aren’t the same as in other
areas, we have more seniors than in other counties, more diverse
neighborhoods than other counties, so I’m looking forward to the
challenge.”

So much for Queens, now for the Bronx Council delegation. Since the past Bronx Council delegation leader Councilwoman Annabel Palma (the former chair of the General Welfare Committee) did not receive a chair of any committee in the City Council it would make sense to say that Councilwoman Palms will not be the Bronx Council delegation leader this year. Since new Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson was given the most prestigious Chair of the Bronx council members that being the Public Safety Committee. My guess is that Councilwoman Gibson will become the new Bronx Council delegation leader.

This comes from our friend Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. who may have changed his "What You Should Know" to this new form of opinion.

.

NEWS FROM THE DESK OF SENATOR DIAZ

District 32 Bronx County, New York

Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Outraged
by Farm Bill Passage and Cuts to SNAP (Food Stamps) for Needy Seniors.
Where were our Congressional Representatives?
New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx), who serves as the
Ranking Member of the New York State Senate Aging Committee, has released
the following statement in response to today's passage of the Farm
Bill (H.R. 2642) with cuts of about $8 billion from the federal Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program
- over the next 10 years.
"It is heartbreaking that almost 8 billion dollars in SNAP funds will
be cut over the next 10 years, causing more suffering for vulnerable senior
citizens, veterans, children and sick people. Our seniors have done
so much for all of us - how can we take food from their plates?
I was sickened to read headlines that couched these cuts by the House of
Representatives as "modest." How can anyone not be aggrieved
that taking more food away from hungry people is anything except disgraceful.
I am disheartened that United States Representative Jose Serrano who is
supposed to be representing my district - the poorest district in the nation
- wasn't out there campaigning and rallying against this awful bill that
will harm his already hungry constituents.
Like many Democrats from New York, Congressman Jose Serrano has no problem
getting media attention for things he believes in: gay marriage, late-term
abortion, the late Hugo Chavez, repealing the 22nd Amendment to end term
limits for the US Presidency, and his views on building sports stadiums.
While he voted NO on the Farm Bill, where was he during the past
several months when Congressional leaders started to plan ways to take
food away from hungry senior citizens and hungry children who live in the
South Bronx?"

This comes from Change.org who has an on line petition to name the new bridge that will replace the Tappan Zee bridge "The Pete Seeger Bridge."

Singer/Songwriter/Activist Pete Seeger, who died January 27, 2014 at the
age of 94, was a champion of justice, civil rights and the
environment.

Naming the new Tappan Zee bridge across the Hudson River for this
lifelong resident of New York State would be a fitting tribute to a man
who did so much to help improve the mighty Hudson and the towns along
its banks.

Seeger pushed for a cleaner river in the 1960s — long before others
took on the cause — and used music to push for an environment friendly
river. He was the founder of the Hudson River sloop Clearwater which to
this day sails up and down the river helping to encourage environmental
activism and the waterway's rebirth. Over the years, Seeger's efforts
have lead to a significantly cleaner river; today swimming is possible
in many formerly polluted areas.

The idea of naming the new bridge, which is expected to open in 2018,
has been put forth by Greenburgh town supervisor Paul Feiner who hopes
naming the bridge after Seeger will inspire travelers to keep the river
clean. Feiner has promised to bring this proposal to NY Gov. Andrew
Cuomo and members of the NY State legislature. The entire story and petition can be found here.

High
Number of Traffic Related Injuries and Deaths Prompt Need for Greater
Enforcement & Investigation into Traffic Incedents; Intro. 1055 Will
Share Data and Methodology

On Wednesday, January 29, 2014,
the NYC Council Committee on Transportation will hold its first hearing
of the new term with a planned vote to override former Mayor Michael
Bloomberg's veto of a bill requiring the NYPD to report on data of
traffic accidents that cause "Severe Injuries" or death. This bill,
vetoed at the end of 2013 after passing the City Council, will seek to
bring to light information regarding the methodology behind traffic
accident investigations in addition to the number of cases closed with
arrests vs. without arrests. As traffic related violence has already
caused the death of 17 New Yorkers in 2014, the Council and the
administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio have made pedestrian safety one
of the top priorities of the New Year.

This
hearing and vote will set the tone for the coming term as newly
appointed transportation chair, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez , has been adamant about the need to stem the tide
of traffic related accidents, the number one cause of injury-related
death for children under 14 in New York City. Council Member Rodriguez
is expected to discuss the Mayor's "Vision Zero" initiative and discuss
further ways the committee can assist in the goal of reducing traffic
deaths to zero in a decade's time.

The veto is expected to be overridden with wide support from the committee.

What: First Transportation Committee Hearing of New Term to Override Mayor Bloomberg Veto of Hit-and-Run Reporting Bill

New
York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced today he will conduct
comprehensive audits of New York City’s three library systems. Stringer
officially
commenced the series of audits by sending an audit engagement letteryesterday to Thomas
W. Galante, President and CEO of the Queens Borough Public Library.

“Our
public libraries are vital resources for New Yorkers and taxpayers
deserve to know that public money is being used appropriately,” Stringer
said. “My auditors will assess whether the
spending practices of our library systems follow applicable rules and
prudent business practices. We want our libraries to maximize the value
of the public funds they receive while finding ways that they can be
more efficient and effective from top to bottom.”

The planned audits
will examine a broad range of fiscal controls at the Queens Borough
Public Library, New York Public Library (which serves Manhattan, The
Bronx and Staten Island), and the Brooklyn Public
Library including scrutiny of spending practices, executive pay and
compensation. Auditors will also look at funding of capital
improvements, the use of city tax levy funds as well as the oversight
role of the library systems’ individual boards of trustees.

Suggested attendees: social
workers, case managers, geriatric case managers, legal and health care
professionals, housing and home care providers, law enforcement, and
advocacy coalitions that work with elderly.